– Valve received around 70 tons of new hardware shipments in June, with weight and package counts differing from previous imports.
– The shipments consist of 42 packages per shipment but weigh roughly half as much as earlier large shipments, suggesting different hardware.
– The hardware is still listed as “Game Console,” so it could be Steam Deck, Steam Frame, or Steam Machine.
– Rumors point to a Steam Machine unveiling on June 23 and reservations on June 30, making it a plausible possibility.
– Reddit reactions to the Steam Machine speculation have been mostly skeptical.
Steam Shipments Spark New Speculation
After import data had already caused quite a stir around the Steam Machine in May, new hardware shipments have now being spotted. This time, however, there are some notable differences compared to previously seen imports.
Weight and Package Details
According to ImportGenius, Valve received four shipments on June 10, each consisting of 42 packages with a total weight of around 6.4 tons. On June 17, the company then received five more shipments – again with 42 packages per shipment. Three of them are listed at around 6.4 tons, while the other two weigh around 12.5 tons. In total, this adds up to around 70 tons of hardware. Compared with the imports spotted in May, the Steam Machine could actually be in the containers this time.
In May, Valve received around 50 tons of hardware from China – and many fans had hoped it would turn out to be the Steam Machine. When it become clear that the shipments were connected to a Steam Deck restock, however, disappointment followed. This time, the shipments look different. What stands out in particular is that they again consist of 42 packages, but weigh only around 6.4 tons. With the same number of packages, they therefor weigh only about half as much as previous large shipments. Even the larger current shipments, at around 12.5 to 12.7 tons, are slightly lighter than the shipments spotted so far, which usually weighed closer to 14 tons. This could have several explanations – such as different packaging or different bundles. However, it could also indicate that the packages contain different hardware this time.
Possible Device Identity
It is not possible to definitively verify which device is actually inside the packages. Since the shipments are still listed as “Game Console,” the main possiblities are the Steam Deck, Steam Frame or Steam Machine. It therefore cannot be ruled out that these are “just” Steam Decks again. Given current rumors placing the Steam Machine unveiling on June 23 and reservations on June 30, however, the Steam Machine does not seem unlikely. The topic has already reached Reddit, although initial reactions their have been rather skeptical.
